A retired educator and lover of language shares commentary on news events of the day; thoughts about family, Christianity, and education; book and article reports; and observations from daily life. Welcome.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece on "Young Love". Today I saw an amazing example of "Forever Love". An elderly man of our acquaintance was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. He and his wife took the news with great aplomb and settled in, expecting to have a few months left together. But Nick was sicker than they realized. He died during the night Friday night, only a few days after the diagnosis.

Today at the "visitation" there were hundreds of friends who came to express their condolences. Both Nick and Alice have spent most of their lives in this community, teaching and serving as principals in the public schools. They both were mainstays in church throughout their lives, taking numerous responsibilities, providing many services for others. As Alice stood beside Nick's casket today, graciously greeting each visitor, I was struck by the number of floral arrangements that contained roses; so I walked around and looked at each and read the cards.

Just to the side of the closed coffin, there was one especially beautiful arrangement of a dozen yellow roses with delicate white baby's breath tucked into all the spaces between. The card attached to the arrangement was hand-written and said "Forever, my love. Nick"

Upon inquiry I found out that Nick had gone to the florist and ordered the flowers (Alice's favorite yellow roses). He wrote the card and left instructions with the florist that the flowers were to be delivered to Alice upon his death.

This beautiful couple had spent more than 60 years together in total commitment. Nick gave Alice a last gift by providing comfort for her even in his own death. It could be that real "forever love" takes a lifetime of true selfless devotion to grow.